The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned Monday that Hurricane Melissa could cause catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides in parts of Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola.

The annual death toll due to landslides in the U.S. is an average of 25-50 people and thousands globally, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Landslides — defined by the USGS as “the movement of a mass of rock, debris or earth down a slope” — are capable of traveling tens of miles (kilometers) per hour and can damage homes and block roads and rail lines.

Earthquakes, heavy rain and changes to the soil, such as construction or agricultural practices, can trigger landslides.

Melissa’s relatively slow movement, path over mountainous terrain and “tremendous” rainfall amounts up to 40 inches (102 centimeters) in

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